How Jade Makes You Feel Better

Yesterday I went to Honeybaked Ham store to pick up an order I made for New Year's Day dinner.  Traffic was amazingly light and I got there about 10 minutes before it opened. It was already 80+ degrees so I got out of the car and walked around the stores in the complex.  The only one open was a Starbucks two stores away from Honeybaked.  When I got back to Honeybaked, a small, furry white dog that was outside Starbucks with its owner started yipping and barking at me, wagging its tail like I was a long lost friend.  When it started howling, the woman brought it over to me, telling me the dog wanted me to pat it.  It was my pleasure, as it rolled around and panted, almost like it was humming or singing.  It didn't want to leave.

I was smiling.  I had white fur all over my gray jeans, and drool on my hands.

I love dogs, but can't have one.  I walk for at least 30 minutes right at sunset.  And I always hope to see dogs out walking too, and pat them.

Why do dogs make us feel so good?  Dogs are companions, sometimes assistant helpers, often get brought into hospitals, nursing homes to cheer up the patients.  Some people will not fly on a plane unless they have their medical assistance dog with them.

Earlier in the morning, I read an article in the newspaper about science proving that touch,  human or animal, causes our serotonin  levels to rise.  Serotonin is our "happy chemical".  Not only does it make us happy, but is essential in treating cardiac problems, including a study that shows higher serotonin levels improve heart valves, especially the mitral valve.  Doctors look for a way to raise serotonin levels, and all they need to do is hug, touch, or find a dog to pat for the patient.  Well, I don't know if science can cure prolapsed mitral valves that way, but they are experimenting with it.

Patting dogs, getting a hug, improve serotonin levels.  How does jade fit in here?

When you are wearing a jade bangle bracelet, you probably touch it during the day.  The bangle edges touch your skin, acupoints during the day.  When you touch your jade bangle bracelet, move it around on your wrist, you are getting pleasure, therefore raising your serotonin levels.  And getting acupressure on major points in your wrist.

Another reason to not only wear a jade bangle bracelet all the time, but also get the one that fits closest to your wrist.

NJ2363 small Chinese jade bangle bracelet

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What Does My Jade Bangle Mean: Black "Two Dragons Hold Pearl"

Often long time customers contact me when they are ready to buy more jade.  They show me that jade they are attracted to, then tell me what's going on in their life, and what they hope will happen.  A couple months ago, a jade friend who also owns one of my "sister" jadeite bangle bracelets was going through a stressful time at her work place.  She had previously purchase a Pixiu jadeite pendant, for protection.  We wear the same size jade bangle bracelets, so she is often interested in jade bangles I purchased for myself.   She has a lot of jade, so I wondered if some of the jade she has now would be helpful to her.  She was wearing it, but needed a little something extra. 

When I'm going through a rough time and need to "overcome adversity", feel strength and be protected, I wear my black Chinese jade "Two Dragons Hold Pearl" round bangle.  I haven't been able to get that good quality jade, nor find a jade carver who can do the detailed carving, so haven't bought any in years.  The sizes I have that are similar were too large for her, so I sent her mine on loan. 

I immediately put in on my wrist when it was returned, and felt so good.
Looks great with my old mine carved jadeite bangle (Pam's favorite, too)

She returned it before Christmas with a note.  She felt better wearing it for awhile. And she had moved on to a new project at her work away from toxic management and unproductive team mates.  She was busier, but happier. 

That's using jade for its energy.   Putting jade to work for you.  Feng shui for your life, as discussed in the previous blog. 

Some of the women who bought jade bangles as holiday gifts for themselves have been sending me comments, photos, stories.  I would love to share these on the blog.

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Which Jade Bangle Bracelet Should I Choose for Myself?

Every year at Christmas time, my birthday, and Chinese Lunar New Year I dig into my inventory and choose a jade bangle bracelet for myself.  I look at all of the ones I really like including the ones I put online for sale.  Then I hold each one and "feel" which one is best for me.  I know I will like any (and all!) of them, but my energy needs are constantly changing, so I am able to make my choice by feeling the qi energy I need.

This Christmas, my choice are already listed on the Jade Heaven web site.  This one I hoarded for many years before I listed it recently:

JHBB551 classic round grade A Burmese jadeite bangle bracelet

It's slightly more "yin" than the "sister" one I kept for myself, more white and more translucent. It calms my spirit, helps me get the blissful feeling when I need it.

JHBB3126 Wide "Cuff" of Natural Color Burmese Jadeite Bangle

I don't have a wide "cuff" style, and I like the heavy feel of this good green jadeite bangle bracelet.  I know I will have to use a plastic bag to put over my hand, then put on the bangle because the width makes it more difficult and painful to put on, but it will sit very close to my wrist and not slide up my arm like the more slender jade bangles.

Since I treat my customers the way I like to be treated, over the Christmas holiday I'm offering coupons and gifts on Jade Heaven and Ying Yu Jade.   Treat yourself.  It's not only for the beauty of the jade, but for the good qi energy.  

By the way, I think I'll take one now, and the other one just before Year of the Fire Monkey next month!  If you wear a small size, get it before I do. 

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Feng Shui: Putting Your Jade to Work For You: Jade Money Toads

Feng Shui is  defined as a  Chinese geomantic practice in which a structure or site is chosen or configured so as to harmonize with the spiritual forces that inhabit it. It is based in Daoism, the balance of yin and yang, also the basis of Chinese medicine. When your surroundings feng shui is not balanced,  it lacks the feeling of being "just right".  When you body feng shui of the meridians is not balanced, illness occurs.

When I first started going to China to buy jade and building an online store, I was introduced by my Chinese doctor friend and the jade associate I work with to jade money toads as feng shui for business, building wealth.  And the three-legged jade money toads are the classic and traditional style.  If you have one in your home or office, make sure Toad faces inward, towards your office if you have one.  Place Toad near an entrance, and put Toad on a table, not on the floor. Do not place it near kitchen, bathrooms or bedrooms.   If Toad's mouth is open, and it faces toward the outside of the home, it means the wealth qi will flow out, which you don't want to happen.  The open mouth means it is "hungry", for wealth, fortune and good luck.  The coin in Toad's mouth should not obstruct the mouth so the qi can flow smoothly.  The three-legged money toads traditionally have a coin in their mouth.  If there are symbols or Chinese writing on the coin, the coin should face upwards.

My three legged money toad is BIG and HEAVY.  It covers the top of a wooden two-drawer file cabinet next to my desk.  There are actually two toads with a chain to bind them.  Big Toad has a yuan bao carved on its back, the traditional Chinese symbol for money.  Little Toad has an open mouth but no coin in the mouth.  For me, Big Toad is symbolic of China and Jade, and successful and respected jade business in China.  Little Toad represents me, learning from Big Toad, and the chain is my emotional attachment to jade business.  It is very unfortunate jade business has lost a lot of respect because of fraud, but when I received Toads the business was still respected and that  is my vow to keep my jade businesses honest and respectful.

There are still a few jade money toads in the Carvings Collection.  It is auspicious to give or receive a three legged money to celebrate new year, Chinese lunar new year, birthdays, and business events. The photo shows a metal old Chinese coin in Toad's mouth, but if you are a blog reader and purchase one, you can request a jade coin, while supply lasts.

Chinese jade three legged money toads with coin

Three legged jade money toads are very auspicious, and it's important place them properly to benefit from the feng shui. 

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Keeping our Jade Buyers and Their Purchases Safe This Holiday Season

I've been busy filling orders, responding to customer questions, and help people decide what kind of jade to buy, and if it's a jade bangle, figuring out the best size.

Jade is different because of the qi energy, history, tradition, and culture that surrounds it. And unfortunately the amount of fake jades that abound, especially online.

I really do treat customers the way I like to be treated when I buy online.  So here are some of the things I do to keep customers safe, and their purchases safe after we ship them.

First and most important, I guarantee our jade is as described.  Every piece of jadeite is tested with a gemology testing refraction meter to make sure it really is jadeite.  I have documentation about where and how most of it was purchased to refer to.  The guarantee states that if you don't think your jade is "real", and you have it tested by a GIA gemologist (Gemology Institute of America) and it's not, you will receive a complete refund and deep apology.  And then I will be expecting an apology from a jade seller in China.  Most of the jadeite also gets tested in China by a government testing, but no formal certificates made. Sometimes I got a "deal" of jadeite with certificates, so if you want a certificate you have a choice of those jadeite bangle bracelets and bi pendants.

Burmese jadeite with number corresponding to certificate

When you buy online from our store, your credit card information is never divulged.  We see only the last four digits of your card, and get notified if there are risks or discrepancies. That's why we don't take phone orders, because you wouldn't want me to try to keep your card information safe for the years that are required.  And by completing your purchase online, we both have a copy of the transaction, the item numbers, shipping address so there isn't any confusion about what you ordered, where it was shipped to.

Then it's packed well, with padding, bubble wrap.  If you upgrade to USPS priority mail, there's $50 insurance included.  And if the order is $250+, it's shipped with insurance.  This time of year, the higher priced orders are shipped with signature confirmation, my gift to you, so the jade gets to you from the mail carrier, not left in a mailbox, or somewhere else in error.  You are notified of the tracking number, and can know when it's out for delivery.  If you receive an email that your package was delivered, and you didn't get, you have the tracking to try to "track it down".

And if you need to exchange, I do my best to make it as easy and inexpensive as I can, often waiving the restocking fee.  Jade is one of kind, and each piece needs photos and a description.  It takes approximately 40 minutes to get one piece photographed, edited, and put on the web site with a description.  So for returns we include a small restocking fee. It's not like selling t shirts where you have 1-2 photos for thousands of the same item in different sizes.

That's because jade is special.  And jade loving customers deserve special treatment, as is the jade when it's shipped to you.

Jade has good qi energy, and usually makes the journey to where it's supposed to be, and I encourage it with taking good care of it, and you, the customer.

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How Do You Know the Right Jade for You? Fun, Creativeness, and Managing Your Life

Several emails, comments from jade lovers who enjoyed reading the Creative Ways to Wear Jade posting.  There is often so much drama about jade: is the jade you sell real?  How can you prove that?  Are you sure your jade is real jade? I know there's a lot of fake jade out there, and jade that is color treated but described as grade A and natural, and it is a real sadness that the purity of jade has been so blemished by greed, ignorance.

And jade can really be fun.  I'll try to share some of the photos readers sent in a future blog post.

I've been really busy, stressed out with orders and  trying to provide excellent customer service the last few weeks and I haven't been getting away for a few hours of rest and relaxation.  One of my girlfriends knows me well enough to talk me into a shopping trip, or evening out when she sees I need it.  Last week, she talked me into dinner at a Mexican restaurant and Universal City Walk with our husbands.  She always wears Christmas clothes this time of year.  I don't own any, but I found a fun outfit to wear.  While I was looking for accessories, I came across a jade bangle bracelet that I've kept for myself, but never worn, and it felt so "fun" that I decided to wear it.

As soon as I put it on, stress disappeared, and I actually had an appetite.  When I'm busy, food is just for survival, and I really don't care about eating.  So feeling hungry was a surprise.  Antojitos Mexican restaurant has interesting decor, and we asked for a table that's like a centerpiece.  I ordered a dinner that I never ate before, but it sounded good, and I ate almost all of it.  And then had fun wandering around they City Walk.  I was relaxed, but with creative energy that didn't go negative when I got home.  And I slept all night.

With the jade bangle on.

And woke up wanting to go shopping, but had orders to get packed and shipped because I hadn't worked the night before.  So I took the "wild jade bangle" off, and put my "calm spirit" carved one on and settled down to "normal" again.

So what was so special about the jade bangle?   Other than it looks fabulous, so different, it's genuine Chinese "river jade", natural color and high quality with great color and polish.
It's very high energy with the deep green and black. And the honey color related to the spleen meridian gave me a good appetite.  The black color is related to protection, assertiveness and self confidence. And some of the hues in the honey are "hong" red, adding some fire to life, but also balancing with the softer colors on half of it.

I'm not wearing it now, but it's always with me. I've been carrying it around with me just to keep it close for the energy.   It's giving me hope and the promise that I can change my energy level.  It gives me the energy I need when I want some time to enjoy life and come out of my "comfort zone" for awhile.  I'm planning to wear it when I go the the holiday parties coming up this season.

That's why I write:  if you see jade that appeals to you, gives you a special feel, and almost makes you want to drool over it, then that's the jade for you.

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Creative Ways to Wear and Use Jade Every Day

I purchased a new handbag for myself this week, a cross body medium size bag.  I couldn't find a really nice leather one at a price I wanted to pay.  Most were too small, or too large, and I need "medium".  I found one at Ross store, the size was right, it hung the way I want it too, and not too wide at the bottom.  Before I start using it, I want to make something to hang on it to make it look a little nicer.  I have a small box with odds and ends, and some small jade pendants, and use wire and clasps to attach it to a clasp that hooks on a handbag.  I also make key rings for important keys from jade to assure they won't get lost and will be lucky.  Then I remembered I had one jadeite "yuan bao" hanger that would look really good.  But reluctant to put it on a cheap handbag.

Jadeite "yuan bao" lucky hanger  

A customer had purchased one a few weeks ago, and sent me a photo of how it looks on her handbag.

That's a nice purse.  I'm going to wait until I get my good one for Christmas to use the last one I have.  It's still listed, and if you buy it, I can always make an alternative because there's so much you can do with jade.  The yuan bao hangers were bought in China when I was shopping there.  I learned that Chinese people use these on their mobile phones a lot.  I wish I had purchased more. 

If you buy a small jade pendant, or one of the hollow carved beads, you can make your own hanger for your handbag, or just a "little something" to carry in your pocket to keep you in good qi energy through the day.

Hollow carved jadeite bead

That's what I used the hollow carved jadeite beads for.  I made some hanging clips, then realized how popular the Pandora style bracelets are, and was very happy they fit on the bracelets, as well as you can easily string a necklace chain through it.

Some of the jadeite bracelets and necklaces can also be looped through the rings on your handbag to make them special. 

Jade is endlessly interesting.  That's why I have enjoyed buying and selling it for more than 16 years, and have blogged regularly about it for 12 years.  I can always thinking of something to do with and say about jade. 

Have fun being creative with jade!

What Does Jade Cost and How Much Should I Pay for Jade?

There's a saying in China: "Diamonds and gold have a price, but jade has no price".

Diamonds and gold have quality scales and karat and carat weights.  But jade does not.

When you go into a Chinese  jade store, or jade market, or buy directly from the jade carver, there are no prices on jade.  The seller "assess" you, and then the price is what you and the seller agree on.  Jade shops in Chinatown or online have prices.  If you didn't have online prices, it would be nearly impossible to buy.  Although I have offered "make an offer day".

If you read the blog, you may have read about my experiences going to China, the days it takes to get my US dollars converted to Chinese cash, because jade sellers don't accept credit cards, it's a cash business.  And how I would spend a day traveling by bus, train, van to get to a jade carver near the Burma border.  I can't put any price on the difficult trek, the unrecognizable food, squatting over a mud hole that serves as a restroom.  And although I learned some Mandarin Chinese language, the Chinese language in the south is different, and for many years I didn't have an app on a smart phone to help me.  But I had a very good quality jadeite bangle bracelet on my wrist so I immediately earned the respect of jade sellers.

A jade market near the Burma border. So much to buy and only one husband to help me get it home!

So that experience of acquiring jade to sell justifies any price on the Jade Heaven web site.

Before web sites went mobile, I designed and maintained a "real" web site, made on Dreamweaver, and using FTP to upload and keep it current.  But first, the domain name had to be purchased.  They were actual fairly inexpensive, but domain names that state the purpose of your online business are more difficult and expensive now.  The ideal domain name would be jade.com.  And that jade.com domain name sold to a company in Europe for $1.5 million dollars last year!

So real genuine, natural jade is cherished, and not cheap.

And on Jade Heaven and Ying Yu Jade, you get what you pay for.  The higher the price, the better the quality.  Ying Yu Jade focus is Chinese jade, with some Burmese jadeite, but the jade bangle bracelets and pendants on Jade Heaven are Burmese jadeite. 

    *The higher quality jadeite has more value.  It often is finer grain with a high "chime"
    *The more green and deeper green veins on a jadeite piece give it more value
    *Natural color is more rare and costly.  Some people love lavender jadeite, but an all lavender jadeite bangle bracelet is valued at thousands, maybe hundreds of thousand dollars,  Veins of "hong" red, honey, white add value.
    *Naturally translucent jadeite is also more rare, especially now.  The more translucent, the higher the value.
    *The only truly reputable gemology testing is through GIA, Gemological Institute of America, and the cost for a complete testing and certification is $100+.   Sometimes customers wear their jade bangle bracelets if they travel to China, and ask jade sellers there if their jade is "real".  Can you guess what you would be told and why they would say that?
(The answer is they tell you it's fake, but can sell you a real one, and will provide you with a certificate stating your original jade is fake)


While we all want our jade bangle bracelets and pendants to be "perfect", unless you are paying a premium price, you might find something that makes you wonder if it's a crack or some damage.  There's another Chinese saying: "The jade carver always leaves something behind".  And many Chinese people appreciate that "imperfection" because they know they have real jade.  (Jade has inclusions that sometimes look like cracks, but it's the way jadeite stone is often formed.  That's another blog post!)


I have had customers tell me that they showed a jade bangle bracelet on Jade Heaven to their jeweler to get their opinion, and were told that the jade couldn't be real because the price was too low.  I could raise prices because I agree they are low, but I'm at a point in my jade selling career that I want these to be on someone's wrist, because I do plan to retire one of these days!.

Translucent "glowing" soft green jadeite bangle bracelet
classic round style,  the kind of jade bangle I buy for myself

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Searching for that Perfect Jade Bangle Bracelet and How Do I Know My Jade is "Real"

Many people are shopping for jade bangle bracelets for the holiday.  Some are men looking for a jade bangle for the woman in their life.  Most are women looking for jade bangle bracelets for themselves.

The question I get at least once every day even when it's not holiday season is: "what kind of jade bangle should I buy" and then "how do I know if my jade bangle is real".  Today I got a question about why the jade bangle bracelets on Jade Heaven are "expensive" and  not as "pretty and green" as the ones on a web site she referred me to.  It's a web site that has been selling jade bangle bracelets for as long as I have, and is in California, and probably a Chinatown area.  The jade bangles on the site are organized by price range.  They are all translucent and have good green color.  The higher priced ones are more translucent with more green color.

She wanted to buy jadeite, Burmese jadeite, so I explained about jadeite, and the political problems in Burma that have caused the good green imperial jadeite to become more rare and very expensive.  Then she asked if the jade bangle bracelets on the other site were "real" because if imperial jadeite is so expensive, why was the other seller's basically less than $1000.

They appear to be real jadeite.

And the higher priced jadeite bangle bracelets have been very nicely color treated.

It's common to color enhance most gemstones, even diamonds.  But people get extremely upset about color enhanced jade.

Color enhanced jadeite is "real" jadeite.  When tested by refraction, it will show the same value as any jadeite, whether it's $10 or $1 million.  So if you want "good green" and translucent jade, and at a "reasonable" price, you should purchase from this other seller because they are beautiful.  And they have a great selection.  They also have a lot of information about jade that is accurate.  But I didn't see any statement that their jade is not grade A, natural color.

If you wear jade as jewelry,  and you want it to look green and translucent, B and C grade jadeite is the kind to get.  People will be impressed, and you will be happy with it.

Some people like natural color jade because that's the kind of person they are.  They are mindful of how they live their lives, their diet and wellness plan.  And they want jade that will blend with their body qi energy, as jade in China has done for centuries, until the last couple hundred years.  That's the kind of jadeite on Jade Heaven, genuine and natural and purchased during the years 2000-2005 when I was getting the jade business started, still working a "regular" job and spending every dollar buying jade when I went to China.  So it's older jadeite, and it's somewhat rare.  My first visit to China was to learn Chinese medicine, and that's when I learned about jade, and the qi energy relationship.

Grade A, B and C jade are all "real jade".

Jadeite Carved Bead Bracelet Grade A

Pretty color treated jade beads

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